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Your MCard
Your MCard
Your MCard is a vital tool at Michigan. It serves not only as your student identification card, but can serve as an important safety feature and allows you access to a variety of things around campus. MCards provide library borrowing privileges, building access, meal plans and Blue Bucks, access to campus gyms, free bus rides, and discounts at businesses not only in the local community but beyond. If you lose your MCard, there is a $25 replacement fee you will need to pay.
International Center
International Center
Located in suite 1500 of the Student Activities Building (515 E Jefferson Street), this is the go-to resource for international students at the University of Michigan. The International Center has a very informed, helpful staff to assist international students with navigating just about everything. Check out their website or contact them at icenter@umich.edu.
Student Life
Student Life
The Office of Student Life isn't just on campus to serve undergraduates. Graduate students should utilitize it, too, to get the most out of their experiences at the University of Michigan. Connect with people, get involved, and stay informed.
Global Michigan
Global Michigan
A campus-wide portal for the University of Michigan’s international engagement. The site features faculty initiatives, education abroad opportunities for students and a collection of travel policies and resources designed to support global activities for all UM community members. Students travelling for university-related purposes will register their travel through the Global Michigan site.
Fitness and Gym Memberships
Fitness and Gym Memberships
Graduate students have access to several campus gyms, as well as many athletic facilities and recreational/intramural teams. As part of your student fees in Fall and Winter Term, you have full access to the Central Campus Rec Building, Intramural Sports Building and the North Campus Rec Building. In addition, UM students have access to some varsity athletic facilities, such as Yost Ice Arena for public ice skating and the Varsity Tennis Center for membership based tennis.
The Spectrum Center
The Spectrum Center
The Spectrum Center at University of Michigan is a collaborative space in which all members of the university and local community are welcome. Through collaboration and partnership efforts, the Center supports students to thrive in a diverse society locally and globally. The center works toward enhancing the campus climate and support services for LGBTQ+ students, staff, and faculty at the university through education, advocacy, and community building.
Trotter Multicultural Center
Trotter Multicultural Center
As a national leader in promoting an inclusive campus climate, the Trotter Multicultural Center serves as a campus facilitator, convener, and coordinator of intercultural engagement and inclusive leadership education initiatives for University of Michigan students.
Campus Computing
Campus Computing
Whether you're using your own device or a UM computer, Campus Computing offers no-hassle, secure, and free access to UM provided software, desktop computing, and printing, all supported by knowledgeable support staff.
Michigan Library System
Michigan Library System
Consistently ranked as one of the top academic research libraries in North America, the University of Michigan Library makes available an extraordinary array of resources and services. We have physical locations throughout campus and offer a wealth of resources in traditional as well as digital formats, encompassing more than 8.5 million print volumes and one of the finest digital collections in the world.
Maize Pages
Maize Pages
There are over 1,600 student organizations at UM. Over 500 of these groups are related to Graduate and Professional Students.
Get Involved in a Physics Student Group
Get Involved in a Physics Student Group
The Physics Graduate Council is a committee of physics graduate students from different subfields of physics and years in graduate school dedicated to fostering community and improving the graduate experience in the department. You can contact Grad Council at physgradcouncil@umich.edu or through the anonymous link on their website.
The Community of Physicists for Inclusion and Equity is a a group of undergrads, grad students, postdocs, and faculty interested in promoting a supportive environment for underrepresented groups associated with physics through advocacy, outreach, professional development, and social events. CoPhIE welcomes members of any gender identity from any department at the University, interested in fostering a supportive environment for underrepresented groups associated with physics at UM and beyond. Contact CoPhIE at cophiebaristas@umich.edu.
Graduate Employees' Organization
Graduate Employees' Organization
GEO is a labor union representing Graduate Student Instructors and Graduate Student Staff Assistants at the University of Michigan. GEO was founded in 1970 and won their first contract in 1975, making GEO one of the oldest graduate employee unions in the United States. The collective action of GEO members, organized as a union, is responsible for many of the concrete benefits that graduate employees now enjoy.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The University of Michigan, the College of LSA, and the Physics Department are committed to exploring initiatives in diversity, equity, and inclusion both locally and globally. You can read more about this commitment, efforts to address specific issues, and about how to get involved on the following pages:
UM - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
LSA - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Physics Department has a DEI Committee that meets twice a month in the Fall and Winter semesters; all meetings are open to the public and advertised over email. The Committee is comprised of students, staff, postdocs, and faculty of the Physics and Applied Physics community. If you're interested in serving as a member for an academic year, you can contact the DEI Committee Chair listed under the "Additional Contacts" on this page. An email about volunteering to be a member typically goes out to the Physics community in the summer.
Graduate students at the University of Michigan have the possibility of pursuing a certificate program in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. You can find out more information on the Rackham website here.
The Physics Department was the first unit in the College of LSA to have a GSSA focused on DEI matters. The DEI GSSA serves as a vital liaison to the student community within Physics, leading a team of assistants and performing a wide range of responsibilities. The position is open to all candidates within the Physics PhD program; students apply during the summer and the final person is chosen by late July. The DEI GSSA is appointed in a .25 position in Fall term; upon satisfactory performance in the role, they are reappointed at .25 in Winter term. If you'd like more information on the DEI GSSA position, contact the Physics Student Services Manager.
Graduate Student Travel
Graduate Student Travel
If you are traveling as part of your research, whether it is for a short trip or an extended period of time, here are some things to know:
Register your travel and review health and safety with Global Michigan
Sign up for GeoBlue Health Insurance for International Travel. The department does not pay for GeoBlue.
If you will be off campus for an extended period of time (for example, working at a National Lab for a semester or academic year) please contact the Graduate Program Coordinator (physics.sso@umich.edu) to extend your out of network GradCare coverage while you're off campus.
Funding for travel may be available to you through the Rackham Conference Travel Grant or the department Parkinson Travel Funds.
University Museums
University Museums
The University of Michigan has a number of museums on campus that are free and open to the public:
Museum of Anthropological Archaeology
Sporting Events and Tickets
Sporting Events and Tickets
The University of Michigan is home to 27 varsity athletic teams and three spirit groups.
All games and matches are open to the general public
Students can attend many games for free by showing their MCard
Some sports (like football, men's basketball and ice hockey) require purchased tickets but are discounted for students
Purchase Student tickets here for single games or season tickets
Tickets for the general public for single games or season tickets
Varsity Athletic Facilities information and game day guides and the Ross Athletic (South) Campus
Traffic and Parking for Football game days
Getting Around
Getting Around
The closest airport to Ann Arbor is Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) located 25 miles East of campus.
AirRide (or Michigan Flyer) provides low cost travel from downtown Ann Arbor to Detroit Metro Airport
To travel by train, Ann Arbor Amtrak Station is located at 325 Depot St.
For bus travel, Ann Arbor Greyhound Station is located at 325 Depot St.
Megabus connects Ann Arbor and Chicago
Detroit Connector Bus (transportation between Ann Arbor, Dearborn & Detroit)
The Ann Arbor City Bus System (Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority) is FREE to all University of Michigan students, faculty and staff. You must present a valid MCard upon boarding.
University Logistics, Transportation, and Parking offers:
Blue Buses that run between Central Campus, North Campus, Medical Campus and South (Ross Athletic) Campus
Commuter Lots
Free Parking and Parking Permits
Fleet Services
Transportation Alternatives
After Hours Rides
Ride share companies like Uber and Lyft can both be found in Ann Arbor
Car-sharing (rental vehicles) are available through Zipcar at the University of Michigan; they have special student pricing
Performances on Campus
Performances on Campus
Music, theater, dance and other performances find their home at UM and offer free or discounted tickets to UM students.
Exploring the Outdoors
Exploring the Outdoors
Ann Arbor and the surrounding area are full of fun outdoor adventures waiting to happen.
Our Ann Arbor Community
Our Ann Arbor Community
The City of Ann Arbor is home to a vibrant community with lots to offer. Here are just a few highlights.
Destination Ann Arbor provides a comprehensive overview of things to do locally, places to eat, places to stay and fun activities
Kerrytown Market & Shops and Farmers Market: Kerrytown's historical market district offers shops, restaurants and bi-weekly farmers market
Ann Arbor Public Schools: Local public k-12 school district
AA Rec/Ed: Ann Arbor Community Education & Recreation offers a wide variety of services including child care, early childhood education, adult education, adult fitness, adult and youth sports and youth summer camps.
Ann Arbor Public Library: In addition to our breadth of library services on UM's campus, the Ann Arbor Public Library offers adult and children's programming and a variety of events and services across five branches
Ann Arbor Art Fair: The Ann Arbor Art Fair began in 1960 and is the oldest and largest outdoor Art Fair in the US. Occurring across four days in mid-July, the fair combines four separate fairs into one and takes over the majority of UM's central campus and downtown Ann Arbor.
Ann Arbor Summer Festival and Top of the Park: A combination of indoor and outdoor events that include four weeks of live music, outdoor cinema, tastings and more
Festifools and Foolmoon: A community art experience in the form of parades
Leslie Science & Nature Center: Indoor and outdoor science programming for the community.
Ann Arbor Hands On Museum: Offering discovery and exploration through STEM and the natural world
Main Street Ann Arbor: Experience downtown Ann Arbor
Kerrytown Farmers Market
Festifools
Ann Arbor Art Fair
Gallup Park
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